Table of Contents
Adrenocortical Carcinoma Treatment Options: Surgery, Medications, and More
By Prashant Baghel
Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare but aggressive type of cancer that starts in the adrenal glands, which are located on top of the kidneys. ACC is only a small part of all cancers, but it can have a big effect because the adrenal glands are so important for making hormones. If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with adrenocortical carcinoma, it's important to know what treatment options are available to help you get through this difficult time.
This article will go over the different ways to treat adrenocortical carcinoma, such as surgery, medications, and other therapies, to help you understand the process and make smart choices about your care.
What is the disease called Adrenocortical Carcinoma?
Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a type of cancer that begins in the adrenal cortex, which is the outer layer of the adrenal glands. These glands make hormones like cortisol, aldosterone, and sex hormones that are important for many body functions, such as metabolism, the immune system, and stress management. ACC can mess up the production of these hormones, which can cause a lot of different problems, like weight gain, high blood pressure, tiredness, and mood swings.
What makes ACC so scary is that it can spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body. This is why it's so important to find and treat problems early on to get better results. Because adrenocortical carcinoma is so rare and aggressive, each treatment plan needs to be made just for that patient.
How to Find Out if You Have Adrenocortical Carcinoma
It is important to know how ACC is diagnosed before talking about the different treatment options. Imaging tests like CT scans, MRIs, or PET scans are usually the first step in diagnosing cancer. They help find the tumor and see if it has spread. People with ACC may also have blood tests to check their hormone levels, which can be out of whack. A biopsy, which involves taking a sample of the tumor to look at it, may be needed to confirm the diagnosis. After the diagnosis, the stage of the cancer will be checked to see how far it has spread.
Surgery for Adrenocortical Carcinoma
Surgery is the most important part of treating adrenocortical carcinoma, especially when the tumor is localized (hasn't spread to other organs). The purpose of surgery is to take out as much of the tumor as possible and, if possible, the whole adrenal gland. This is often the first treatment choice, especially for people who have ACC in its early stages.
Surgery for ACC can be hard, though, because the adrenal glands are in a hard-to-reach place and other organs, like the kidneys, liver, or major blood vessels, may also be involved. In some cases, the tumor may be too big or too deep to be completely taken out. In these cases, surgery may still help by taking out part of the tumor to ease symptoms and make the patient's life better.
If both adrenal glands are affected or if there is a worry that the problem will come back, doctors may suggest more treatments after surgery, like chemotherapy or radiation.
Medications for Adrenocortical Carcinoma
Along with surgery, drugs are also an important part of treating adrenocortical carcinoma. You can use these treatments at different stages of the disease, either to help with surgery or when surgery isn't an option.
Chemotherapy
After surgery, chemotherapy is often used to kill any cancer cells that are still there and lower the risk of the cancer coming back. It might also be used in more serious cases of ACC, when the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Chemotherapy drugs work by killing cancer cells that grow quickly, but they can also hurt healthy cells, which can cause side effects like nausea, hair loss, and tiredness. The type of chemotherapy that is given will depend on the stage of the cancer and the patient's health as a whole.
Mitotane
Mitotane is a common medicine used to treat adrenocortical carcinoma, especially when surgery isn't an option. This medicine works by specifically attacking the cells in the adrenal cortex and slowing down or stopping the growth of cancer cells. It is commonly administered alongside chemotherapy or radiation therapy, especially for advanced ACC. Mitotane works by stopping the adrenal glands from making hormones. This may help control symptoms and slow down the growth of the cancer.
Targeted Therapy
Another way to treat adrenocortical carcinoma is with targeted therapy. Targeted therapy is different from chemotherapy because it only works on molecules that help cancer cells grow and spread. Chemotherapy works on both cancerous and healthy cells. In ACC, targeted therapies are often used to stop certain pathways that let cancer cells grow out of control. Targeted therapies are an exciting new way to treat cancer that may work better and have fewer side effects than chemotherapy or mitotane.
Hormone Treatment
Adrenocortical carcinoma can mess with hormone production, so hormone therapy may be needed to help with symptoms and side effects. People with ACC may have high levels of some hormones, like cortisol or aldosterone, in some cases. These high levels of hormones can cause problems like Cushing's syndrome or high blood pressure. To get these hormones back in balance, doctors may give you medications like glucocorticoids or mineralocorticoid antagonists.
Radiation Treatment
Radiation therapy uses strong radiation to kill or shrink cancer cells. It is not usually the first choice for treating adrenocortical carcinoma, but it can be used in some cases. After surgery, radiation therapy may be suggested to kill any remaining cancer cells and lower the chance of the cancer coming back. If the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, like the lungs or liver, or if surgery can't remove the tumor, it may also be used.
Radiation therapy is usually given in small doses over a few weeks and is generally well-tolerated. However, it can cause fatigue and skin irritation at the treatment site.
How to treat metastatic adrenocortical carcinoma
When adrenocortical carcinoma has spread (metastasized) to other parts of the body, treatment becomes more complicated. In these situations, surgery may no longer be an option, and a mix of chemotherapy, mitotane, targeted therapies, and radiation may be used to keep the disease from getting worse. The goal of treatment for metastatic ACC is to slow the cancer's growth, ease symptoms, and make life better.
Clinical trials may also be an option for people with advanced or metastatic adrenocortical carcinoma. Clinical trials look at new drugs or combinations of drugs that might work better than the ones we already have. You should always talk to your oncologist about taking part in clinical trials.
The Importance of Personalized Treatment Plans
Adrenocortical carcinoma is a rare and complicated type of cancer, so no one treatment works for everyone. The best way to treat the cancer will depend on things like its size, stage, and how far it has spread. This is why it's so important to have a treatment plan that works for you. When recommending the best treatment options, doctors will take into account all of the patient's health and preferences.
Consult Today
When looking for a hospital to treat adrenocortical carcinoma, it's important to find one that specializes in rare and complicated cancers. People know Oncare Cancer Hospital for its advanced diagnostic tools, individualized treatment plans, and caring staff. Oncare Cancer Hospital is dedicated to getting the best possible results for patients with adrenocortical carcinoma. They have a team of oncologists, surgeons, and other specialists who work together to do this.
Oncare Cancer Hospital has the most advanced treatments for all stages of cancer, from the early stages to the later stages. These include surgery, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy, all of which are tailored to your specific needs. Because the hospital focuses on patient-centered care, everyone gets the help and treatment they need to have the best quality of life possible.
If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with adrenocortical carcinoma, don't wait to call Oncare Cancer Hospital for a consultation and a treatment plan that is tailored to your needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some signs of adrenocortical carcinoma are weight gain that doesn't make sense, high blood pressure, stomach pain, changes in hair growth, and mood swings. It can also throw off hormones, which can lead to problems like Cushing's syndrome.
Surgery to remove the tumor is usually the first step in treating adrenocortical carcinoma. Depending on how far along the disease is, other treatments may include chemotherapy, drugs like mitotane, targeted therapies, and radiation.
Adrenocortical carcinoma can be treated well if it is found early, but it is often aggressive and can spread quickly. The prognosis is based on several things, such as the stage of the cancer and how well the patient responds to treatment.
The survival rates for adrenocortical carcinoma differ significantly based on variables such as the cancer's stage at diagnosis and the treatment's efficacy. The prognosis for early-stage ACC is more favorable than for advanced stages.
Book an Appointment
Related Blogs
Prostate Carcinoma Stages and Prognosis Explained
Know about prostate carcinoma, its early symptoms, Gleason score, treatment, and prognosis, a clear guide to help you understand and manage prostate cancer.
Peritoneal Carcinomatosis Explained: Risk Factors and Prognosis
Learn what peritoneal carcinomatosis is, how it spreads, its key risk factors, and prognosis. Get clear, easy-to-understand insights for patients and families.
Is Adenocarcinoma Cancer Curable? Expert Insights for Patients
Discover more about adenocarcinoma cancer and whether it's curable, factors that affect the curability, tumor biology and molecular features, and aggressive nature.
Papillary Adenocarcinoma in Thyroid, Lung, and Other Organs
Discover more about papillary adenocarcinoma in the thyroid and lung, its symptoms and diagnosis, prognosis and treatments, and papillary adenocarcinoma in other organs!